The Clipper Race fleet will be departing One15 Marina in Singapore at 10:45 local time, +8 GMT/UTC.

The race from Singapore to China is one of extremes. The heat below decks will be difficult to cope with in the early stages and it will stay with them until they near Taiwan and the entrance to the Yellow Sea. The fleet will meet challenging head winds that provide the most extreme conditions of the race and, as the teams head back into a Northern Hemisphere winter, the temperatures will quickly plummet. The fleet will arrive to a spectacular welcome from the people of Qingdao. This will be the fourth time the Clipper Race has visited the city – which was home to the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Race nine start will be a Le Mans start and will begin at approximately 1500 local time (+8 GMT/UTC). The fleet is expected to arrive in Qingdao, China between seven - nine March.

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